Mortals
by Mimi011
Summary: An accident in his father's lab determined Hiro's future before he was even born. Now, years after his parents' death, Hiro discovers after a near fatal mistake of his own just how that original mishap created a whole new world of wonder for him. Alive! Tadashi
1. Chapter 1

San Fransokyo

15 years ago

"Be careful with that, Meiko. Oh, and don't touch that machine to your right. I'm still working out the kinks on that one," instructed Atsuo, guiding his wife through his lab. She gently put down the screwdriver she was inspecting and went to her husband's side.

"You need to clean this place up. You'll trip on something and dislocate your shoulder, or something of the sort," Meiko frowned, glancing around Atsuo's lab. "If you would just let me do a bit of work in here-"

"I can't do that. All of my experiments are done in here. Who knows what's still lurking around in this place," He explained, eyes narrowing playfully as he crouched on the ground like an animal and hopped around the floor for emphasis. Meiko giggled and leaned over to kiss his mop of black hair.

She smirked, "Then you agree with me?"

Atsuo grinned sheepishly, "The lab could use a good cleaning."

Meiko lovingly russled his hair again, "So, what did you bring me here for?" Atsuo thought for a moment, and then smoothly rose from his crouch. Smiling at Meiko, he glided over to the large control counsel running along the side of the room. Pushing seemingly random buttons, Atsuo brought a blue print up on his screen and projected it onto the wall. Meiko stared at it with interest.

"This is my new project, Tsuki. If I work on him three hours every day, I'll be done with this baby by the time our baby comes," Atsuo kissed Meiko of the cheek, "If not sooner." Leaning over to the counsel once more, he rotated the projection of the boy-bot so she could see the entire machine. A few animations next to the design of the robot showed it running around and another depicting it working with what seemed to be dangerous chemicals. Meiko looked up at her husband's proud expression.

"What does it do?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her slightly extended stomach.

"Tsuki's purpose is to assist in hospitals," he gestured to the animation of the robot handling chemicals, "He'll be able to safely transport radium and heavy equipment. His assistance will help protect not only patients, but their doctors too. It'll make hospitals safer than they are now."

Meiko nodded, staring at the blue print of the small robot in fascination.

"And you'll never guess what I'm making him with," Atsuo said, grinning enthusiastically at Meiko. Before she could answer, he grabbed her hand and led her over to a case in the corner of the room containing a small vile filled with a black, oil like fuild.

"This is the Obdoboryte I've been playing with," Atsuo explained, grabbing a pair of safety gloves from a hook on the wall and slipping them onto his hands. Eyes widening, Meiko sent her husband a shocked expression.

"Obdoboryte? I thought you said it was an unstable substance," she inquired, watching her husband lift the glass case off its pedestal.

"That was last week. I've secured it now. It's perfectly safe-" Atsuo was interrupted by the explosion. He and Meiko were thrown backwards. Atsuo's head collided with the main counsel, and all he could do was watch Meiko land hard on his tool box. He heard her scream and saw the broken glass propel themselves into her stomach just before the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

"Obdoboryte? I thought you said it was an unstable substance," she inquired, watching her husband lift the glass case off its pedestal.

"That was last week. I've secured it now. It's perfectly safe-" Atsuo was interrupted by the explosion. He and Meiko were thrown backwards. Atsuo's head collided with the main counsel, and all he could do was watch Meiko land hard on his tool box. He heard her scream and saw the broken glass propel themselves into her stomach just before the world went black.

Chapter 2: Tadashi/Hospital 1

Tadashi Hamada, eight years old, sat still on his godmother's couch, reading a comic book. From his spot upstairs he could hear the bustle of the café below him. Costumers conversed, the door opened and shut every minute or so, and the phone would ring about once every one or two hours. Currently, it was ringing, and Tadashi put down his comic to listen when Aunt Cass answered it. He hoped it was his parents, calling to say that they would be home soon from his father's lab. He had desperately wanted to go with them to see his father's latest project, but his father had convinced him not to with the new comic book he was now reading.

"Hello, what can I do for you today?" Tadashi heard Aunt Cass answer.

A silence followed. Tadashi inferred that the person on the other end of the line must have been speaking.

After a moment, Aunt Cass replied, "Of course. I'll be there, thank you."

Hearing nothing more, Tadashi went back to reading his comic book. The hour that followed would be one he would never forget.

"Café's closed! Everybody out, we're sorry for the inconvenience, take your food with you, leave now!" Aunt Cass yelled at the customers, and an uproar of angry yells sounded from downstairs. Tadashi stared at the staircase with fear, and anxiety began to rise when he heard the last customer forced out of the shop. The pounding of footsteps up the stairs made his heart rate raise as Aunt Cass clambered upstairs. His godmother hastily grabbed her car keys and her cellphone before turning to a worried Tadashi.

"We're going to the hospital. I need you to stay calm, alright?" she explained hurriedly, staring at Tadashi with wide eyes. Tadashi recognized the emotion in that expression. It was worry.

Being so young and with so little experience with dire situations and emergencies, Tadashi had little knowledge of how to react or what to do when he saw such pure, raw worry and _fear_ emitting from the woman in front of him. It scared him, for one. Adults, in most children's eyes, were strongholds. Someone you could go to for protection, comfort, and compassion. But, when young Tadashi noticed that it was the adult, Aunt Cass, that was afraid, and was not the stronghold he had imagined, he was filled with the very same emotions Aunt Cass was feeling. His eyes, too, went wide eyed.

"Okay," Tadashi answered in soft quivering voice. He was too preoccupied with the brimming anxiety he felt to question the sudden demand.

"Let's go to the car, okay?"

"Okay,"

The pair flew down the stairs, through the back door, in the garage, inside the car, and began their way to an unknown horror waiting for them.

Aunt Cass held Tadashi's hand, leading him through the doors of the ER waiting lounge and to the front desk.

Tadashi didn't hear what Aunt Cass asked the secretary. He was too focused on his inner thoughts. His mind was racing with questions, and the overpowering anxiety was maddening for the eight year old. He did not know why they were at the hospital, or who they were there to see, or if that person was gravely injured or-

Tadashi didn't dare to wonder if something had occurred worse than extreme injury. Aunt Cass finished talking with the secretary quickly, and together they ran down the sterile smelling hallways and past doors and other people. To Tadashi, the world around him seemed to be drastically blurred. Dashes of blue scrubs and streaks of white lined his confused vision as the worries in his brain blinded him. Suddenly, Aunt Cass halted in front of a door. It was an ordinary door, uniform to those before it, but with a shaking realization Tadashi knew that it was behind this door was someone he knew.

He glanced up at Aunt Cass. She was panting from the hurry to arrive at this door, her eyes were shiny, and her face was red. Tadashi watched silently and anxiously as her trembling hand reached for the door, grasped the handle, and in one fluid motion, opened the door.

Tadashi's face contorted into one of horror.

Inside the room was his father, unconscious and sprawled across a hospital bed with all sorts of wires connected to him. Monitors surrounded him displaying medical readings, and one or two were beeping. The sound was awful to Tadashi's innocent ears. Bandages were wrapped along his torso, arms, legs, head, and an oxygen mask was strapped to his face. The sight of it was terrifying.

It was then that Tadashi let out a piercing, and well justified, scream.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a mere twenty four hours since Atsuo and Meiko had first arrived to the hospital. Aunt Cass and Tadashi stayed overnight with his father, Aunt Cass holding Atsuo's hand, occasionally sobbing. Tadashi, after his initial outbreak, slipped into a state of denial. It was simply too much for his young mind to comprehend. He feigned sleep that night, watching his father's chest rise and fall steadily. Morning came, and the stillness was broken when Aunt Cass left to get breakfast for her and Tadashi. Neither, though, was willing to eat much. Nurses checked in on the pair, taking Atsuo's vitals and renewing his IV. Every moment was painstakingly numb. Both could say that that day had been the longest day of their lives.

Around six in the afternoon Atsuo began to stir. Aunt Cass quickly called in a nurse, who gently asked him how he felt and informed him of the current situation. They thanked the nurse as she took her leave. Tadashi continued to watch quietly, unmoving as he listened to his father come to his senses.

"Cass . . . ." his father began.

"Yes?" she answered, taking his hand in hers. She blinked back tears of relief.

"How's Meiko?" he asked drowsily. Tadashi gripped the arm of his chair, recognizing his mother's name. Out of all the conversations he had eavesdropped on, he had not heard even a whisper about the state of his mother. He assumed that Aunt Cass had been told on her current state when the nurse had pulled her out in the hall sometime earlier that day. When she came back into Atsuo's room, she had her hands covering her face and her shoulders shook while she cried. All Tadashi could do was cover his ears, close his eyes, and pray that it was all a dream.

"She's okay, she's fine," Aunt Cass replied with a shaky voice, "She's recovering."

Tadashi could audibly hear his father's sigh of relief.

"That's good," he said.

The trio was silent for a few minutes, all with one less worry on their mind. Tadashi came to realize slowly that his parents, though injured, were okay. They were alive. It was then that he allowed himself to come back to reality, knowing it was safe at last, and cry. A lone tear trickled down his cheek, followed by another. Finally, he rose from his seat, ran to his father's side, and sobbed. Atsuo weakly moved his head so he could see his son.

"Oh, Tadashi," he comforted the crying child, "Don't cry. There's nothing to cry about."

Tadashi gazed up at his father through teary red eyes, sniffling loudly.

"Oka and I are fine,"

At those words, Atsuo himself began to tear as he reached for his son's hand, and they cried their relief and happiness together.

Two hours later, after all three were all cried out and ready for their next battle, they decided to request for information on Meiko. It was Aunt Cass that spoke her fears first.

"All they told me was that she was recovering and stable in the ICU after an emergency surgery. I didn't ask anything more about the baby, thinking they'd tell me any news on him if any news popped up," she started, "But it's been hours and I haven't heard anything."

"Maybe they just forgot," suggested Tadashi innocently.

"Maybe," Atsuo repeated, "People forget sometimes, Tadashi, that's very true."

Aunt Cass stood and headed for the door.

"I'll ask that nurse if she can find anything out for us, alright?" she stated. Atsuo nodded her on her way and watched her exit the room. Tadashi observed as a small troubled frown formed on his father's face.

"Otou?"

"Yes, Tadashi?"

"How did you and Oka get hurt?"

Atsuo breathed in carefully before answering.

"There was an accident in the lab," he explained, "An explosion."

Tadashi nodded, still wondering what caused the explosion, but feeling that he shouldn't press his father with more questions. Before the conversation could continue, Aunt Cass returned.

"They're having problems with the ultrasound machine," she informed them, "They can't get a clear image." She sat herself down in the chair Tadashi abandoned.

Atsuo inquired, fearing the worst. "But she hasn't lost it, has she?"

"No, they've figured that much out," she said, slumping back into her chair, "I asked the nurse to have one of her doctors come done here and explain the situation to us."

"Thank you," Atsuo said sincerely.

The three waited in silence for half an hour, not having anything to say, and nothing to hear yet. That is, until the doctor they were promised arrived at their threshold with a clipboard in hand. Aunt Cass stood up, and Tadashi lifted his head from where it rested to look at the new man in their room. He watched his godmother quickly introduce them all.

"It's very nice to meet you, I'm Dr. Yamaguchi. I've been helping Mrs. Hamada since she came in yesterday-"

"Is she alright?" Atsuo pressed, interrupting the doctor.

"Yes, Mr. Hamada, your wife is recovering normally. It was an urgent operation to remove the glass . . ." Dr. Yamaguchi paused, noticing Tadashi listening attentively, before lowering his voice to a whisper so only Atsuo could hear, "One shard managed to puncture her uterus, but we succeeded in closing the wound before any lethal damage could be done to the fetus." Atsuo felt bile rise in his throat at the thought that his unborn son could have died from his mistake. He had been too optimistic when handling the obdoboryte material and the explosion had been his fault. He bowed his head to hide any stray tears.

Addressing the entire trio once more, Dr. Yamaguchi spoke, "Anyways, I am happy to say that both Mrs. Hamada and son are fine. However," he continued, "Our sonogram is having problems developing a clear image of the fetus, so in case of any issues concerning him, we would like to keep Mrs. Hamada here a bit longer to ensure his safety."

Atsuo wiped a hand over his face, "Thank you, Doctor." Aunt Cass expressed similar gratitude before Dr. Yamaguchi left them alone once more.

All three felt a weight rise off their shoulders, and relaxed for the first time in the few long hours they finally conquered. They then allowed themselves to enjoy dinner together. Watching his godmother and father converse with each other and smile, Tadashi too could find himself smiling, and knew that everything would be alright.


	4. Chapter 4

Tadashi and Cass left Atsuo in the hospital two days later with little news on Meiko's, or the baby's, condition. If they could have, they would have stayed, but Cass had a café to run and Tadashi had to return to school. Not that it would have mattered; the boy was too distracted by the events of the last week to focus on his schoolwork. Cass found herself in a similar condition. She remarked during their fifth dinner at Cass's apartment, where Tadashi would stay until Atsuo was released from the hospital, how she had given a customer a cold coffee, and another a salad instead of a donut. Tadashi giggled when she explained how the customer had thought, 'Is this supposed to be a joke? 'You calling me fat?'

"Then he stormed out, not paying for the caramel latte I'd made him, yelling about bad service! I swear, people these days!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

The circles under her eyes were more defined than usual tonight, and Tadashi had caught her glancing at the phone on the wall more than once. He knew she was waiting for a call from the hospital to tell her something, but couldn't figure out what exactly the doctors were going to tell her. Probably if his parents were well enough to leave the hospital, he mused. And then there was his baby brother, who he had also lost sleep worrying about.

"I'm sorry you had a bad day today Aunt Cass," Tadashi started, noticing how his Aunt's face softened as he spoke, "I had a tough day too. I couldn't pay attention in class, and I forgot to take notes like Otou says I should."

He watched as his godmother stiffened at the mention of his father's name, her eyes turning back down to her plate as she began to eat again. Aunt Cass wouldn't look up at him, and the silence that followed made Tadashi anxious. He realized that his parents must be a touchy subject as they both almost died last week – Tadashi still couldn't wrap his head around the idea of it – and that Aunt Cass would like to avoid talking about them. Yet, his parents' conditions seemed like the only thing important there was to talk about, besides how difficult life was now that they were temporarily gone. Glancing up at her tired face, he made a decision.

"When will Otou and Oka come back home?" he asked.

Aunt Cass's fork clattered against her plate. She was looking at Tadashi again, which is what he thought he wanted, but not with the look she was giving him. The woman across from him appeared so much more haggard and tired than she did before the accident, and her face had started to break out in pimples. Her hair was duller and messier than he had ever seen it before, and the purple smears under her eyes seemed even more exaggerated than they did five minutes ago. Cass stared at her godson with eyes he hadn't seen on an adult before, eyes full of fear. Her expression quickly changed though, anger suddenly replacing fear, and then frustration, and finally defeat. She slumped back into her chair, letting her neck hang loose over the back, staring up at the ceiling. Carefully, she took a couple deep breaths, Tadashi staring at her wide eyed and worried. He'd never seen this reaction in his godmother; he'd never seen this reaction in anyone. It was new, it was bad, and it scared him. It scared him horribly (but not as horribly as when he first saw his father attached to all those machines that checked if he was even still _alive_), yet he cared about his godmother dearly enough to push aside his fear and attempt to comfort her.

"A-Aunt Cass? Are you okay?" Tadashi's soft tone inquired from across the table.

The woman scoffed, lifting a hand to cover her eyes.

"I just, I'm really, really pissed at this whole situation. Meiko didn't deserve this, she and Atsuo did nothing but good to people, and this happens. I don't get it. Why did it have to be them?! Out of all the people who could've gotten hurt, why did they . . . they don't . . . ." his godmother trailed off, her voice quivering. Her shoulders shook ever so slightly, and she kept her hand over her face to hide it from her godson. Look at me, she thought. Crying over nonsensical things like fate.

Cass heard Tadashi push his chair out from the table and leave, running over to the counter behind her. Immediately regretting her confession, Cass whipped around in her seat to apologize when she saw her godson already in front of her.

"These always make me feel better, um, I don't know if they work on adults, but I want you to have it anyways. To make you feel better," Tadashi held a red, clear-wrapped lollipop out to her. Cass stared at it in surprise, and Tadashi took it as a sign of confusion and continued explaining, "I know the accident was bad, and that it shouldn't have happened in the first place, but . . . ."

Tadashi took a deep breath, catching his godmother's attention. Her eyes widened when she saw his miserable expression, she herself barely holding back a sob.

He continued, "But it did happen, and now we have to make it better, and I think a good place to start might be this lollipop, so-"

Before he could finish Tadashi was pulled into a tight hug from Cass, whose body trembled against his small frame. His arms found themselves around her as he hugged back, nestling his head into her shoulder, and eventually wept along with her. They stayed there for what seemed like forever to the young boy, softly crying to each other. Aunt Cass eventually pulled herself away from her godson, smiling down upon him with red puffy eyes. He grinned back as she wiped a tear off his cheek.

"You're right, it'll get better. Your father's doing fine, Meiko's recovering fine, and the baby's still alive, worse things could happen but they're not going to. I . . . ." Cass took a breath, "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Tadashi. That was wrong of me."

"It's okay Aunt Cass. It's not your fault," Tadashi spoke, giving his godmother one last squeeze before standing and handing Aunt Cass the red lollipop. A soft smile played on her lips at the sight of it, and she soon tore the wrapper off and popped the sweet into her mouth.

The rest of the night went calmly for the two, and as they crawled into their respective beds they forgot to fear about the future, and slept peacefully for the first time in a very long week.

Room 392, ICU, San Fransokyo Hospital

Unbeknownst to the staff of the hearth of healing, to the brother he had never known and even to his beloved parents, a small boy writhed in unimaginable pain. He rolled and fought against the invasion of his frail, tiny body, but his efforts were wasted. It only provoked the pain, its sharp talons digging into his very soul as he desperately tried to cry out. His eyes rolled back in his head and he screamed once more. Why couldn't his mother hear him? Why wasn't she there for him? Had he been abandoned? He could no longer feel anything but the slow torture encasing his body. Gasping for breath, he found that he could only inhale more of the pain, razorblades cutting his throat and lungs, and clawing through his miniscule veins and finally his delicate heart.

For the next few moments he had left, he was a fire. The pain became pure and consumed him until there was no longer a difference between the boy and the red, blaring pain. It was then that his body gave out and gave in. He ceased his cries and his useless flailing. With any and all resistance gone, the origin of the flaming pain smoothly flowed through the rest of the small, small child until it was thoroughly incorporated with the boy's own blood.

If the boy had still been conscious, he would have felt the pain ease off slowly but surely. The next morning he awoke healthy and alive without any flicker of memory from the traumatic events of the night before.

On the contrary, he felt better than he ever had before.


End file.
